Nondrip can spout



Feb. 12, 1952 H. H. HOFFMAN NONDRIP CAN SPOUT Filed June 11, 1947 \NVENTOR. HENRY H. HOFFMAN.

ATTOFE NEY Patented Feb. 12, 1 952 NONDRIP CAN SPOUT Henry H. Hoffman, Jersey City, N. J., assignor to Seal-N-Spout Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 11, 1947, Serial No. 754,009

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to can spouts which are non-drip and tamper-proof, and which can be poured in any direction.

Conventional can spouts are externally threaded and provided with a' threaded cap. Such spouts have the disadvantage that the contents of the can drip over the threads and hence the cap thereafter sticks or freezes onto the spout when it is replaced. This situation has been overcome by the use of the so-called lug type of spout but in this form of spout, it is not possible to make all caps fit tightly to the lug spouts due to unavoidable variations in the metal in the caps and the paper or cork sealing gaskets. The coacting underside of the spout lugs are horizontal and parallel with the top sealing surfaces of the spout and, similarly, the lugs of the cap are horizontal and parallel with the top of the cap and, therefore, there is no means to unique and. useful features not found in .prior types of spouts.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a can spout which can be poured in any direction and which is free from dripping and hence sticking and freezing of the cap on the threads of the spout when the cap is replaced.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a spout which is tamper-proof in the sense that any attempt to remove the innerseal is immediately apparent and/or destroys such innerseal.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a can spout which is liquid tight until the innerseal is removed.

A more particular object of the invention is to construct a can spout with an innerseal mechanically interlocked in a relatively deep and narrow groove and a specially designed pouring lip which permits pouring in any direction without dripping.

Other and still further objects and advantages reside in the various structural features and combinations hereinafter described, and claimed, and in such additional points as will be understood by or apparent to those skilled in this art.

In the accompanying drawing in which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention and the manner of making it:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the flanged shell blanked and drawn from suitable metal.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1, with a portion broken away.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the blank of Fig. 2, with the flange trimmed off and redrawn.

Fig. 4 represents a further advanced form of Fig. 3, in which the inner wall is fabricated into approximate form and position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the final spout with its side wall groove and rolled in helical lugs arranged as. a discontinuous thread. I 1

Fig. 6 is a fragment of the inner seal used with the spout of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is an elevational view, partly in section, of my new can spout and innerseal.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a completely assembled spout and cap forming a part of a can body or other container.

In fabricating the invention, a suitable metal piece is drawn and blanked into the flanged shell shown in Figs. 1 and 2, wherein the cylindrical body shell i0 is formed into shape with a horizontal annular bottom flange H and an annular groove I2 in the top close to the circumference defined by a concavo-convex (convex side up ward) depressed channel l3. The central portion of the top of the shell is pierced and cut out to form a large opening l4 subsequent to the formation of the annular groove I2 referred to. The forming tools by means of which fabrication, is carried out as above described, are constructed so that the stretching or deforming of the metal to define groove i2 is carried out prior to the piercing of the top and the cutting out of the metal to make large opening M. The structural details of the tools, however, form no part of this invention since the same is well known to and understood by those skilled in this art.

In the nextoperation, the structure of Fig. 3 is formed. This is accomplished by trimming 011 the outer periphery of flange II to form a true circle and then re-drawing shell It] to straighten flange II to present a continuous, straight side wall i5. At the same time, groove 12 is reshaped and made into its final size and configuration and the inner wall is bent down as shown at 16 in Fig. 4, by a suitable drawing or forming operation.

Groove 12 is now relatively deep and narrow, as will be hereinafter more fully appreciated, this groove dimensioning being an important part of the invention. The groove I2 is substantially oi V-shape in cross section. This V-shape is composed of an outer arm 25 and an inner arm 26. The side wall groove l1 and the helically dis posed lugs l8 and the knurled band l9 are rolled in into the side wall I at the same time to produce the structure shown in Fig. 5. Helical lugs 18 are segments of a continuous helical thread, which latter may be employed as an alternative construction. The knurled band l9 formed around the top of the shell just below the side wall groove [1 is designed to permit the tools to bite into the metal and thus drive the shell through the tools since itis essential that the circumferential speed of' the shell 15 be the same as the circumferential speed of the tools that form the helical lugs in said shell. The

innerseal or friction plug 20. has a. disc-shaped central portion. 26a and an inverted U-shaped marginal portion 20b which fits over the inner wall l6 and its adjacent inverted U-shaped portion forming. a. part of the channel defining groove i2. A conventional screw cap 2! fits over the pouring spout just described and may be made in any suitable or desired manner forming no part. of this invention. The top edge of the outer arm of groove !2 forms a pouring lip for thecan spout.

It. will be noted. that shell or side wall I5 is welded", soldered or otherwise secured at 22 to a collar 23 of the upper portion 24 of can body 21.

The outer edge of innerseali 20 lies at or near the bottom of groove 12 and the groove is dimensioned so that the edge of the innerseal is inaccessible. The groove is too deep and narrow to permit of removing the innerseal without showing that it has been tampered with because either the innerseal edge or the adjacent groove would be marred, deformed, scratched or otherwise blemished by any attempt to remove and replace the'i'nnerseal so asto alterthe nature and amount of the can contents. When the seal is removed, however, by the legitimatev user, the can spout can pour equally well in all directions without dripping because, as soon as the can is lowered to stopv pouring, innerwall l iiacts as a barrier and the underneath groove l6 catches the materialand directs. it back into the can. Due to the sidewall groove l1, athinzpouringlip is produced, having excellent. pouring qualities and this pouring lip: forms a complete circle, thus permitting pouring in. any direction. So far as I am aware, this has not been possible with respect to prior pouring spouts which, if non-drip. at all, could only.- be considered sowhen pouring. took place in one certain direction-.. The. pouring spout and innerseal,.moreover, forma perfectly liquid-tight arrangement,. and. the innerseal is frictionally held only without any supplemental seal or fastening means being necessary.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that I have provided a pouring spout for cans, which has unique structural features and advantages and which accomplishes the objects hereinbefore enumerated in a simple, economical and effective manner. It is to be understood, however, that the foregoing is intended as illustrative and not as limitative and that various modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit or principles hereof. The invention is rather that defined by the appended claims.

Having, thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a can spout, a vertical annular sheet material side wall having an inwardly curved top portion forming an annular side wall groove, the material of the top edge portion of said side wall groove continuing inwards and downwards of said side wall along the curve of said side wall groove to a point substantially midway of the height of said side wall groove forming a top annular groove at a location midway of the height of said side wall groove, said top annular groove having an outer arm and an inner arm, the outer arm of which extending downwards along the inwardly curved top portion of said side wall groove in order to form a thin circular pouring lip over which liquid may flow in any direction when said can spout is tilted for pouring liquid from a can provided with said spout, and the inner arm of said top annular groove continuing into an annular downwardly directed inner wall immediately adjacent said topannular groove in order to form an underneath annular groove for cutting off the flow of liquid when said can spout is tilted back to cease pouring of said liquid.

HENRY H. HOFFMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 520,840 Banker June 5, 1894 1,279,487 Warkell Sept. 17, 1915 1,611,443 Hoth'ersall' Dec. 21, 1926 1,814,658 Barroll July 14, 1931 1,848,101 Bennett Mar. 8, 1932 1,952,288 Saxon Mar. 27, 1934' 2,069,354: Chamberlain Feb. 2, 1937 2,121,953 Conner June 28, 1938 $138,060 Conner Nov. 29, 1938 2,185,180: Brennan Jan. 2, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 470,518 Great Britain Aug. 17, 1937 

